JAMIE REDKNAPP tore into Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United last night after a drab 0-0 draw with West Ham.
The result secured second place for the club, their highest finish since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, but Redknapp called their style of play ‘difficult to watch’.
Redknapp did not hold back in his assessment of another dreary United displayGetty Images - Getty
“There’s not a lot of joy in their play,” he said in his post-match analysis on Sky Sports.
“The big-name players have not really worked for Jose.
“He’s questioned the mentality of his team – I think they’re a long way from competing with Man City.
“At the moment when I look at United, I don’t enjoy watching them.”
West Ham’s Mark Noble was lucky to escape a red card after dragging his fingers down Paul Pogba’s faceREUTERS
United managed 16 shots at the London Stadium, six of which were on target, but with leading scorer Romelu Lukaku sidelined by injury their forward line lacked intensity throughout.
The club’s fans have sat through nine goalless draws in the Premier League since Mourinho arrived in summer 2016, one more than in previous manager Louis van Gaal’s two-year tenure.
By contrast, Ferguson did not oversee a 0-0 in any of his final 81 league games at the club.
The FA Cup finalists’ 67 goals rank fifth in this season’s Premier League, while across Manchester Pep Guardiola’s City set a new record for the competition, sitting on 105 with one game left.
Jose Mourinho himself appeared unimpressed at times as his side struggled to break down David Moyes’ West HamREUTERS
Mourinho was quick to defend how his team played in his press conference after the game, saying:
“The best way to fight for the point was to try to win the match and be safe, which was what we tried.
“But when the game goes to 70, 75 minutes, you don’t win, you don’t lose, you do the job. You get the point.
“We deserved a point, we deserved second position. When it is not possible to be champions, second position is the best available which was what we got.”
Romelu Lukaku’s 26 goals lead his team, but he faces a fight to make the FA Cup final after sustaining an ankle injuryREUTERS
Redknapp however was frustrated with the performance, seeing little hope for title challenges in the near future at Old Trafford.
“It feels like when Jose went to Real Madrid and had to find a different way to compete with Barcelona and disrupt them.
“At the moment, when I look at United, I don’t enjoy watching them.
“There’s not much fluidity, not much enjoyment. It’s difficult to watch.”
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